Improvement in repeating-cannon



s. HUFFMAN.

REPEATING CANNON.

No. 12,295. PatentedJan. 23, 1855.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

SAMUEL HUFFMAN, OF OHARLESTOWN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'ro s. HUFFMAN AND D. 0. HARE.

IMPROVEMENT IN" REPEATlNG-CANNON.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 112,295, dated January 23, 15-15.

To allavhom it may concern: secure, by means of bolts through ears cast Be it known that I, SAMUEL HUFFMAN, of thereon, five or more rear sectionsofcalmon, f, Oharlestown, in the county of (Joles and State at equal distances from one another and diof Illinois, have invented ccrta-iunew and usevergiugradially. Near the lorwaulend'ot each ful Improvements in Repeating-Gannon; and ofthesesectiousfisaprojectingflange,g. For- I hereby declare that the following is a full, ward of this the gun tapers sli htly to allow ofclear, and exact description thereof, reference an easier entrance into and more perfect lit in being had to the accompanying drawings, makthe flange h of the forward section, 0, whenthe mg part of this specification, in whichlatter is brought back upon a rear section, as

F 1gure 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 is a longihereinafterdescribed. Arack, l, is fixed tothe tudlnal section. Fig. 3 is a top view with the under side of the forward section, a, and is opupper plate and cannon removed. Fig. 4 is a erated by the pinion 0. Upon the shalt t two top view of the vent-closing apparatus. Fig. lateral pro ections, r, extend from the under heindicating letters refer'to the same parts similarly-shaped ways; upon the arms hand in the different figures wherever they occur. thereby support theiorwardsectionol'thegunc. The nature of myinvention consists, first, in The shaft t is operated by a crank-handle, u.

the construction and operation of a repeating- A spring-catch, '0, takes into notches upon cannon, with one muzzle or forward section so the under side of the plate d immediately unarranged as to be capable of being moved forder the center lines of the rear sections. A

ward and backward, with several rear sections rock-shaft, to, having its bearings at b, carries attached to a horizontal plate and revolving a projecting arm, at, which acts upon a prolontherewith, as hercinafterdeseribed; secondly, get-ion of the catch a.

in the use of a tank or jacket surrounding the Two spring-catch levers, y, are operated by breechoftherearsections,containingcold water arms z projecting forward from the rock'shatt for the purpose of keeping the gun cool in rapid to. Their use is to hold the forward section in firing,- thirdly, in an improved apparatus for position against a rear section when the gun closing and opening the ventof the gun, which 13 to be discharge obviates the n cessity of using the thumb for A jacket, a, is placed round the breech of each that purpose. v

pon a suitable carriage or slide (not shown for cold water. the object of which is to keep in the drawings) I place the gudgcons of the the gun and tube cool in rapid firing. There upper portion of my gun-carriage, which conis an opening on the top to admit the water sists of a-circular plate, a, with two arms, 1), exand another on the under side to discharge it tending forward to sustain the sliding forward when necessary.

section or muzzle of the gun o. The plate a The vent=closer, Figs.4atid 5, is secured upon carries on its upper surface three or more fricthe gun in any convenient manner, and contion-rollers, z', upon which rest another plate of sists' of a cylinder, at, fitting truly in a lower thesame diameter, 17. These plates are held tobearing or scat, b, and pressed down thereon gether byalarge pivot-pin,e, through their cenby caps a, which may be provided with springs. ters, which hasashonlderon its upper portion, A vertical projection, d, from the cylinder which rests on the plate d, and a key through forms the tube or nipple and a hole bored down it at the under side of a being allowed to rethrough it. The cylinder and the bearing b volve freely upon the friction-rollers 2'. The to the chamber of the gun form the vent.

plate a has a circular concentric projection, m, A lateral projection, e, is a stop to prevent on its upper surface, which fits inside of a corthe tube from going beyond the perpendicular responding circular concentric flange, a, on the in one direction, while it is free to move about under side of d, for the purpose of relieving one-fourth of a circle in the other when the the pin e from any undue strain from the recrank-handle g is elevated. in this position the upper portion of the bore is placed at right Upon the upper side of the plate d, I firmly angles with the lower portion, thus cuttiogoif the communication efl'ectually without the use of the thumbmvhich usual mode of stopping the vent would be inconvenient,if not impracticable, with therevolving sections. This arrangement can be modified to suit the various sorts of priming that may be used.

The end of the projection 0 may serve as a sight when elevated.

The gun may be loaded and discharged by seven men (whom l designate by numbers) in the followingmanner: The section f being loaded and primed, with the forward section, 0, brought back until the flange g and the flange h are in contact and the tube d in its vertical position, No. 1 tires, No. 2 runs 0 forward until it is disengaged from f No 2 at the same time operating the rock shalt w, which releases the spring-catches, then bringing down the crank-handle g and closing the vent. The disengaged, men seize the sections and revolve the plate d in the direction of the dart until the next section, arrives in the former position off, where it is held by the catch 22. No.

3 primes and opens the vent, No. 2 runs 0 back to its first position, and No. 1 fires. No.

4 in the meantime wet-swabsf, and the fore- I going movementsv are repeated until each of the remaining men, stationed opposite the sec .tions, are simultaneously engaged each at hisspecific duty, which is for No. 5 to dry-swab, No. 6 to load with powder, and NOE? with ball, the, operations of loading and firing by this division of labor being conducted with great rapidity.

My invention presents many advantages over ls'tructed and arranged substantially a single gun worked in the usual manner. it is unnecessary to bring the gun back out of a port or embrasure, the men are not exposed in front, short rammers and swabs are used, the cold water surrounding the breech of each section keeps it cool, and the vent-closer isan important improvement and adds to the secu-' rity ot' the men. In cases of emergency the sections may be used independent of the forward one and direction s simultaneously.

Having thus fully described my improvements, what I claim as my invention,-and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The movable forward section, 0, with its flange g, in combination with the revolving rear sections, f, secured to the-plate d, conas (18: scribed, and for the purposes specified.

2. The flange n, in combination with the projection m on the plate a, substantially as describcd, and for the purpose specifier 3. The jacket or cold-water tank a, substangally as described, and for the purpose speci- 4. The vent-closer, Figs. 4 and 5, constructed and arranged substantially as described, and

for the purpose specified.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 2d day of January, 185

5. SAMUEL HUFFMAN.

Witueesesz' .SAML. Gauss,

CHAS. EVERETT.

be discharged intwo or more 

